[남북의 창] ‘두 국가’ 노선과 통일 삭제에…흔들리는 조총련 [클로즈업 북한] / KBS 2026.07.18.

The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), a pro-North Korean organization based in Japan, held its general assembly last May for the first time in four years. At the event, they adopted a new platform that removed the clause on peaceful reunification, which appears to reflect North Korea's "two-state" policy. However, when domestic researchers recently met with members affiliated with Chongryon, reactions ranged from "bewilderment" and "shock" to even a sense of "betrayal." While they appear to be following North Korea's new line on the surface, what is the actual internal atmosphere like? [Report] A celebratory performance for the Lunar New Year held without fail every New Year's Day by North Korean students. Students from across the country with talents in singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments gather in one place to perform on stage. However, there are students who take to this stage every year even though they do not live in North Korea. ["Energetic, cheerful, and upright, we are Koreans!"] These are the Zainichi Korean Student Children's Art Troupe. They are Zainichi Korean students affiliated with Chongryon who were born and raised in Japan. They sing of themselves as "proud Koreans" and North Korea as their "proud motherland." They then pledge unwavering loyalty to the leader, attributing all of this to Chairman Kim Jong Un. ["We will unyieldingly continue the single path of patriotism, following only the Marshal."] Chairman Kim also took a commemorative photo with Zainichi Korean students and emphasized the nurturing of the next generation to Chongryon officials. [Korean Central Television/January 2: "Marshal Kim Jong Un urged that the new generation of Chongryon be excellently raised to become key figures who will carry on the baton of the patriotic cause."] North Korea and Chongryon have maintained a close relationship based on political, educational, and cultural solidarity. This relationship between the two sides is nothing new. [Cho Han-beom / Distinguished Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification: "There were no issues until separate governments were mutually established in 1945. However, starting with the Syngman Rhee administration, the North and South established separate governments on their own. And they treated each other as puppets. Consequently, the forces split into those supporting the Republic of Korea and those supporting North Korea. From Chongryon's perspective, North Korea was not the 'one motherland' or 'us' that they recognized. From North Korea's perspective, Chongryon was precisely the base for the overseas Korean community for unification centered on North Korea, a base for Japanese operations, and a base for the overseas unification movement."] The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), formed in 1955, is a representative pro-North Korean organization in Japan that supports the North Korean regime. Advocating for a 'one motherland' and a 'unified motherland,' it has strived to protect the rights and interests of Korean residents in Japan and support their education, cultural, and economic activities. It has also effectively positioned itself as a communication channel between North Korea and Japan, which have no official diplomatic relations. North Korea has maintained a special relationship with these Chongryon-affiliated schools by providing operating expenses and scholarships. [Korean Central Television / April 14: "The educational aid and scholarships sent for the children of Korean residents in Japan amount to 50,304,953,900 yen in Japanese currency over 172 installments to date."] However, subtle changes have recently been detected within Chongryon. This began in December 2023, after Chairman Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations as a "hostile two-state relationship." [Kim Jong-un / Chairman of the State Affairs Commission / December 2023: "North-South relations are no longer kinship or homogeneous relations, but have become completely entrenched as a hostile two-state relationship, a relationship between two belligerent nations at war."] Having announced the two-state line, North Korea has also begun to erase the concepts of unification and nation. Consequently, considerable confusion has begun to arise within the Chongryon society, which has championed "One Motherland" and "Peaceful Reunification." [Ha Seung-hee / Visiting Research Professor at the Institute for North Korean Studies, Dongguk University: "When I conducted in-depth interviews in Japan, I asked how they felt immediately after North Korea's 'hostile two-state theory' and its policy toward the South emerged in late December 2023. At that time, expressions such as 'it was a shock,' 'I was bewildered,' and 'it was a betrayal' were even expressed."] According to domestic researchers who interviewed Chongryon-affiliated members in Japan, concrete movements of resistance were also confirmed among some...